Eddie Rowan an 11-year-old boy from the fictional town of Cedar, is a secondary character; he and his twin brother Sam are Jess Marlowe’s best friends. Largely a flat character, Eddie is portrayed as a friendly boy who loves the outdoors and enjoys spending time at his family’s fishing cabin on a lake near Mount St. Helens. Eddie and Sam are described as having “matching buzz-cut heads, four identical green eyes, and about ten thousand freckles” (5).

While Eddie physically resembles his brother, they have different personalities. Unlike Sam, Eddie is “quiet and serious” (5), and he is also more easily frightened than Sam. For instance, when the children talk about Skeleton Woman, Eddie gets spooked and asks them to stop. However, he still accompanies them to Skeleton Woman’s cabin, always acting as a loyal friend and brother. When Jess is upset about her missing camera, Eddie is the one to reassure her that they retrieve it. His commitment to Jess reflects the novel’s focus on The Power of Friendship.

Like his twin brother Eddie, Sam Rowan is a close friend of Jess Marlowe, and he too is largely a flat character. An avid baseball fan, he often wears his Seattle Mariners jersey, and he is much more outgoing and confident than his brother, exhibiting “a fearless streak that sometimes got all three of them into big trouble” (5). Sam’s risk-taking and interest in adventure helps to propel the story forward, as he is the one who wants to investigate Skeleton Woman’s cabin. When their classmate Missy dares them to make the journey, Sam impulsively agrees, and when the time comes, he is more excited than worried, asserting, “This is going to be fun” (12). Sam’s confidence and powers of persuasion help to convince Eddie and Jess to visit the cabin, setting the novel’s plot in motion. Like his twin brother, Sam is a kind and loyal friend to Jess, comforting her in bad times, as when her father died two years ago. As the narrative states, “In those terrible months after Dad died, the twins had hardly ever left her side. They’d even slept on the floor of her room” (80). Throughout the novel, Sam is kind and supportive, and he and his brother use their secret handshake to express their solidarity with Jess.

Mr. Rowan is Eddie and Sam’s father and has a very minor role in the story. The author describes his big personality and imposing figure, writing, “With his big belly, bushy beard, and laughing eyes, Mr. Rowan had always reminded Jess of a younger version of Santa Claus” (11). Mr. Rowan is an outdoorsman who loves fishing at Loomis Lake near Mount St. Helens.

Mr. Rowan is portrayed as a fun-loving father who likes to involve his kids in his hobbies. He invites his sons Eddie and Sam, as well as Jess, to drive up to the cabin with him at the beginning of the novel. While Mr. Rowan is supportive, the kids keep their quest to find Skeleton Woman a secret. After the earthquake, Mr. Rowan rushes into the woods to find them and “grab[s] all three of them in a bear hug” (27). By showing Mr. Rowan’s supportive parenting and interest in the outdoors, the author creates realistic similarities between him and his sons. His kindness toward Jess also helps move the story forward, as she is often included in the family’s adventures. His trips to the cabin allow Jess to have two different adventures on Mount St. Helens: first in the earthquake, and later during the eruption.

Jess Marlowe’s mother is a hard-working and loving person who is coping with many challenges. Early in the story, Jess worries because her mom is still grieving the loss of Jess’s dad, who died two years earlier. Jess reflects that her mom “seemed so lonely and worked way too hard” (8). Jess’s mother is characterized as a supportive and patient parent. For example, when Jess is feeling worried about the possibility of a natural disaster, Mom reassures her, saying, “Whatever happens, you and I will make it through. Like we always have and like we always will” (43).

As a single parent, Mom provides for Jess by running the family diner in Cedar. At the beginning of the story, she is working hard at the diner, which is a hub for the community, but she struggles with her desire to leave her old life behind and start fresh. As the narrative states, “After Dad died, Mom wasn’t so sure she wanted to stay in Cedar. She’d always dreamed of becoming a teacher, of living in a city like Seattle” (19). By the end of the novel, Mom decides to embrace this fresh start and pursue her new goals, and it is clear that the experience in the eruption motivates her and Jess to make the most of their lives in a new place.